A New Way to Journal

Last week I bloggedabout how I am contemplating and reconsidering journaling, why I journal and if I will continue to journal. I got some great comments and had some even greater conversations with friends about the subject and I have decided what to do.

I am going to start journaling from the perspective of thankfulness. I talked to some friends who do this and I really like the idea. I can still write prayers in my journals but the focus, the end goal, of my writing will be to record things I am thankful for rather than things that cause me stress, pain, anxiety etc. I can still record the “process” of how I got to thankfulness and that will surely include some unpleasant experiences, but the point will be to cultivate a heart and mind of gratitude; writing for the purpose of praising rather than complaining.

I will strive to be sincere and I will not sugar coat my writing. However, I see great value in approaching journaling from the perspective of thankfulness, writing through the lens of gratefulness rather than through the lens of an ungrateful pity-party, of which I am ashamed to say the pages in my journals contain way too many.

There is apparently a best selling book out there called 1000 Gifts. I have not read it but I have heard of it and have friends who have shared with me about it. I understand that the author went through a similar shift in attitude and I think I will have to go on and get my hands on a copy.

My hope is that, through approaching my journaling in this new way, I will cultivate a heart and mind of gratitude and gratefulness that will permeate every area of my attitude, actions, and reactions. I will let you know how this goes.